Award Winning Cover Letters

Award Winning Cover
Letters. Ok, you may not win any awards for the cover letter that you
enclose to your resume, but you may increase your odds it actually getting
read, if you follow a few simple steps.

1. Keep it brief. Your resume is the document that conveys your qualifications, therefore your cover letter need not go on and on about how wonderful you are.

2. Remember it serves a purpose. It is announcing you – and your enclosed information, your resume.

3. Tell them what you're doing: I'm applying for the position of… Enclosed is my resume for the position of …

4. Clearly state what position you're applying for. Don't assume the Human Resources person will automatically know what job you want or that they only have one opening.

5. Highlight a few of your strong suits. Although brevity is the key here, you don't want to merely say, “Here's my resume. Bub Bye.”

7. Don't staple your cover letter to your resume. Often photocopies need to be made and it just frustrates the person making the copies to have to remove your staples. Use a paper clip if you feel the need to attach it; else just send it on top of your resume.

8. Typos. That's an obvious one. It's hard to proof your own work. Find one other person to give both your cover letter and resume a glance over. You're dead in the water if your cover letter has misspellings, poor grammar or typos.

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Want to know more about award winning cover
letters?

Below is a sample letter you can use as a guide:

Date

Human Resources, [insert company name here]
RE: [insert name of vacant position]

Enclosed please find my resume. I am very much
interested in working with you as your [insert position title].

As you will see from my enclosed resume I am
qualified in a variety of areas. (Or I am uniquely qualified for this position
because of my vast experience in …).

My college degree is in Business Administration
with a minor in Management. I have spent the last two decades performing
similar responsibilities. Specifically, [insert similar
responsibilities].

I am anxious to discuss this opportunity with you
further.

Respectfully,

Your Name

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As can see, the above cover letter is short and
to the point. It serves a purpose of prefacing your resume. Don't waste your
time going on and on and on. It will not get read.

As it stands, you have a 50/50 chance that anyone
will even read your cover letter. Are you willing to take 50% odds that it will
be read, only to have a lousy cover letter that will essentially hinder your
resume from consideration?

Summarily, award winning cover
letters are easy to write. Follow the above simple steps and you'll make
a great first impression. Of course, its up to you to have knowledge, skills
and abilities to back it; but at least you're starting off right!